There have been both cheers and jeers around the industry, a reaction to the recent announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that it has approved waivers for the state’s Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC) regulation, as well as its ability to enforce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission reductions in on- and off-road heavy-duty vehicles and engines.
This eleventh-hour decision from the EPA is one of a handful being made by the Biden Administration to solidify the president’s environmental efforts during his tenure.
American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear called the NOx waiver “ill-advised” and “short-lived,” calling on the incoming administration and nominated EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to reverse “these misguided policies and restoring common sense to the nation’s environmental policy.”
“California’s mandates have already created significant truck shortages and price increases, needlessly limiting truck sales and purchases in California. These policies are divorced from reality, disregard the operational needs of the trucking industry, and will have adverse consequences for consumers in the price they pay for everyday goods,” added Spear.
Not surprisingly, California Governor Gavin Newsom celebrated the ACC decision.
“The Biden-Harris Administration reaffirmed what we’ve known for decades – California can rise to the challenge of protecting our people by cleaning our air and cutting pollution.”
While Gov. Newsom was applauding the ruling, some industry associations were quick to express their concerns. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a lobbying group that includes OEM members such as Ford, GM, and Toyota, called it a “electrification sales mandate and ultimately a ban on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles.”
“Most of the states that follow California are NOT ready for these requirements. Achieving the sales mandates under current market realities will take a miracle. There needs to be balance and some states should exit the program,” said John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation.
Others, like the Environmental Defense Fund, called the approval “a welcome action to reduce pollution, including in communities where it’s most needed.”
“These standards will have profound benefits for protecting people from traffic pollution. They’ll help curtail pollution from new cars and trucks, while also incentivizing broader deployment of clean technologies and helping to create thousands of new jobs,” said Alice Henderson, Director and Lead Counsel for Transportation and Clean Air Policy for Environmental Defense Fund.
